Beyond the Shadows
by Densetsuno Youko
Summary: She met him 4 years ago, and somewhere along the way, he became her most precious person. There was no price she wasn't willing to pay to protect him from his suffering and loneliness.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Naruto.

**Prologue: Reflections**

Four years. She had known him for four years, and for four years, she had grieved for him because he couldn't do it for himself. But he had been there longer than that. Nine, he had said. He had been eight when he had been caught and taken from Konoha. More than once, he had mentioned how he had been careless. She wondered if he blamed himself.

She didn't want to pry because it made him sad. She could tell from the way his lips would pull downwards slightly in thought. It was hardly noticeable, but over the years, she had learned to read his every move and gesture as if it were her own.

Since then, she had never tried to pry into his old life again. Of course, there were times she would ask things – stupid things – out of curiosity, and he would answer if he felt moved to do so. However, she never asked a question more than once. If a question was left unanswered, then it meant that he had no desire to talk about it, and the subject was dropped.

But, at night, when there was nothing to do but to think, she couldn't help but wonder what his life had been like in those five years before they had met. How had he dealt with those early years, the days when the pain had been the worst?

Their first meeting had taken place in the underground prison beneath Iwagakure. She could remember everything – the dark, dank prison cells that had lined the walls; the screaming, begging prisoners that had filled them; and the lone boy who had sat in the shadows, huddled in a corner, silent and unmoving. He had stared at her without actually seeing her. And, drawn by curiosity, she had veered off course to take a closer look.

Even at a distance, she had been able to tell that the boy was thin and malnourished, as if he hadn't had a proper meal in ages. Her heart had ached for the boy because it had reminded her of her own brother, who had died two years previous, stolen from her side by the famine. Maybe it had been curiosity, maybe it had been pity, but she had felt herself drawn towards him from the very beginning.

And then he had turned his head, allowing half of his face to emerge from the shadows. He had stared at her. Without eyes, he shouldn't have been able to see, but somehow, he had known that someone was there, watching him. And she had scrambled backwards, shocked and repulsed. She had been unable to stop the gasp that escaped, and even now, she couldn't help but wonder if that was what had damned them both.

Her gasp had attracted her guardian's attention, and almost immediately, her guardian had found the boy to her liking. Their mission was complete. The boy had been chosen and given the dubious honor of being the test subject for her guardian's less-than-legal experiments. At the time, she had felt nothing but relief to be able to leave the prison as quickly as possible. Concern for the boy had been the last thing on her mind.

Days later, they had met again. But this time, it was at her guardian's lab, where she spent most of the days running errands for the scientists who worked there. In the light, he had looked even more pitiful than before. He had been slightly taller than she expected, but had been twice as thin as she had initially assumed. Most of all, however, she was relieved to note that a white strip of cloth had been wrapped around his eyes, protecting her from what lay beneath.

When he was assigned to her care, it had been almost expected. She had taken care of the lab's previous subjects too. But, this was the first time she had been given a _human_ charge, and it was obvious that his needs wouldn't be as simple as food and water, or the occasional bath. After all, he _wasn't _a pet – no matter what the other scientists seemed to think.

It wasn't until her guardian had ordered her to take the boy and give him a bath (as if he was some common animal, she silently bristled) that she had noticed the cuffs binding his hands and legs. She had probably stared for a moment too long because she had agitated her guardian, who had misinterpreted her hesitation for fear.

"Silly girl," she had reprimanded. "The Uchiha is harmless. Without his clan's prized eyes, he's not much different from a declawed cat. And the bindings will more than ensure your safety. Now, go. I do not have time for your foolish fears."

She hadn't dared to linger again…

Somehow, over the course of the years, he had become more than just a test subject. He had become the most important person in her life, and she was determined to show him that there was more to life than the endless experiments; that there was a better world beyond the white walls of the lab.

Time was running out though. Time had been against them from the moment he had stepped into the laboratory four years ago. It was a miracle she had managed to protect him for as long as she had by persuading her guardian that he was too valuable to lose. But that wouldn't last forever, and it was only a matter of time before they decided to administer one of their more lethal experiments.

She couldn't let that happened. She _wouldn't_.

Eyes snapping open, she sat up and moved to the single, open window in her room. Arms leaning against the windowsill, she looked out into the distance, hoping to catch a glimpse of the homeland that Itachi had often described.

Nothing but darkness greeted her sight. In some ways, she was as much a prisoner as Itachi in this excruciatingly _white _prison, cut off from the light of the outside world. But she vowed she would take them away from this dark, dank world. She would take him home. No matter where or how far it was, she would take him back to the only place he remembered with fondness.

She would bring him back to Konoha.

* * *

><p>TBC<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Naruto.

**Chills and Supposed Ills**

She lifted the clear vial to eye level. The thick, blue contents of the bottle looked more like jell-o than the intended liquid, and in her opinion, it was only slightly less revolting than her guardian's last great idea. As far as potions went, it resembled the 'Black Memory' she had taken three years ago, and she was _still_ feeling the phantom pains left behind by that incident. She wanted nothing more than to throw this vial away – far, _far _away. Never to be found again.

Unfortunately, that wasn't an option.

She uncorked the vial with a small _pop_. She gave it a tentative sniff, finding that it smelled mostly like herbs. _Thank Kami for small miracles_, she thought with a slight grimace. "Well," she muttered aloud to help steel her resolve. "To long life and good health." With that, she tilted her head back and quickly upturned the contents in her mouth. The jelly-like substance plopped out in small chunks. _Eugh_, she frowned as it began working its way down her throat. She figured if she ever got it into her head to eat some slugs, the feeling and taste wouldn't be too far off because it was taking all her willpower to not hurl it back. She swore that if she ever found the idiot who had up with the bright idea of –

The door behind her clicked opened. "Kagome…?"

The sound of his voice caused her to jump. The vial slipped from her fingers as she whipped around to face him. "I-Itachi," she stammered, surprised. _It thought he was sleeping! _Her eyes darted nervously between him and the bottle that had rolled to a stop near his feet. _Please don't notice it. Please don't notice it. Please – no! _Kagome strangled a cry as Itachi bent and began feeling around the ground for the vial. _Please don't find it. Please don't – _

Kagome cringed as his fingers closed around the small bottle.

"What is this?" he asked, bringing it to his nose and giving it a delicate whiff.

"It's…uh…medicine?" Belatedly, she realized it sounded more like a question than an answer. _Alright, calm down, calm down! Don't panic, Higurashi! _She could still salvage the situation. "It's, um…for me?" She really needed to work on this whole dishonesty thing.

"Kagome." he intoned, a slight warning in his voice. "The truth."

And she _really_ hated it when he used that tone. "It's…well, it's the…" It always scrambled her wits. Knowing that it was pointless to scramble for answers now, her shoulders slumped in resignation. "It's the new experiment."

"You mean it's –"

Sensing the direction of his next question, she quickly blurted out, "It's called the 'Blue Talent' – one of the five Elemental Potions that the lab has been working on. Theoretically, it's supposed to grant the user the ability to utilize the water element. What you're holding is the improved version. The original potion was given to ten subjects with a success rate of 30 percent. Of course, by success I mean survival, and none of them actually performed any –"

"Kagome," Itachi cut in. "You're rambling."

_Busted! _"I-I am?" Kagome squeaked.

"And you only ramble when you're trying to distract me."

Kagome winced. It was at times like these that she felt their understanding of each other was a double-edged sword. "Why would I do that?" she asked, hoping she sounded convincing. _Please don't ask. Please don't – _

"Why is it empty?" he countered, giving the empty vial a slight shake.

_– ask. _Kagome shot Itachi a wry look. Why couldn't he just do what she wanted for once? True, she hadn't actually _said _anything out loud, but he was her best friend. Shouldn't he be in tune with her thoughts?

Sighing slightly, she closed the few steps between them until they were standing face to face. Plucking the vial from his fingers, she opted for a teasing tone. "What? Are you disappointed? Don't tell me you actually _wanted _it."

"Kagome." The warning was back in his voice.

"Fine, fine," Kagome grumbled, keeping her posture light and relaxed as she pouted. Inwardly, however, she was going through a mini breakdown as she scrambled for a satisfactory answer to his question. Apparently, she took a minute too long because he shifted in a clear sign of impatience. "I got rid of it." she blurted without thought. _Damn. _She did not operate well under Itachi-induced pressures.

"You got rid of it." he repeated. There was definitely a note of skepticism in his words.

"Yep," Kagome grinned.

"How?" he challenged.

Kagome knew there was no satisfactory answer to that. Itachi's cell room was a closed-off, immaculately-white prison box. Even the bathroom – separated from the main room by a door – was essentially a smaller box within a bigger one. There was no plumbing to speak of. In Itachi's world, sinks did not exist, bathtubs were literally wooden tubs, and toilets were simply smaller versions of the bath tub. Waste was taken out every morning by another lab assistant, and water delivered directly inside upon her requests. If she claimed to have dumped the potion in one of the 'tubs', he would know it was only a matter of time before the 'missing potion' was discovered by another.

It was, after all, the main reason why all experimental potions were vibrantly color-coded.

"Magic," Kagome answered, ignoring Itachi's frown. "It's magic." she repeated. "Plus, who cares about _how _I did it anyway? Come on, we better go. They're probably impatient to see how well this worked."

"Kagome –"

"Do you still remember the seals for the Water Dragon Jutsu?"

"Yes, but –"

"Then again, water element isn't your first nature. Are you sure you'll be able to pull it off? I think they're only going to give you a small basin of water to work with. Maybe we should go for an easier jutsu. They didn't exactly specify –"

"Stop it," he commanded, his hands moving to wrap around her shoulders in a firm grip. A brief looked of irritation flashed across his face, but it was gone as quickly as it had come. "What did you do?" he asked.

"Nothing," Kagome replied, surprised by the steadiness of her own voice. "I haven't done anything that I haven't done before." Pausing, she carefully moved his hands from her shoulders and cradled them in her own hands. "Please," she murmured, staring at him with complete seriousness. "Trust me."

There was a slight pause before Itachi gave a hesitant nod.

Kagome smiled as she dropped his hands and wrapped her arms around him in a loose hug. "Trust me," she repeated, "I got rid of the potion in the same way I always get rid of your drugs. The only difference is that I usually do this at my place."

"I know." Itachi answered, a slight frown creasing his face again. "But how did you…?"

"It's a _secret_," Kagome answered, making sure to keep her tone light and teasing. She didn't bother to correct his assumption about her living space. He didn't need to know that, as his caretaker, certain precautions had been taken against her as well. Her guardian was a suspicious woman by nature, and honestly, she would be more surprised if her guardian _hadn't_ taken precautionary measures to prevent the possibility of her tampering with his drugs.

Except…

An ice-cold flash of pain lanced through her body, causing her to tighten her arms around Itachi. _Breathe, breathe!_ Kagome quickly chanted to herself as she struggled to maintain a measure of composure.

"Kagome? Kagome, what's wrong?"

…She hadn't considered the possibility that she would go as far as to 'tamper' with the drugs with her own body.

"N-Nothing," she stammered before quickly clenching her teeth to stop it from chattering.

"You're shivering."

Kagome inwardly cursed. The blue potion had turned out a lot more potent than expected. The only upside (if it could be called such) was that it hadn't completely crippled her like the 'Black Memory'. "I-I'm okay," she answered, sniffling loudly and making a show of sneezing in succession. "It's just a cold I caught last night."

"But you seemed fine just –"

"Here," Kagome continued, acting as if she hadn't heard him as she pulled back and pressed the empty vial into his hands. "Give this to the guards. They'll take you to the testing room."

"You're not coming?"

"I'm –" A second surge of icy pain shot through her body, causing her face to twist in discomfort.

"Kagome?"

"I-I'm feeling a little woozy." Kagome grimaced, feeling the shivers intensify. "I'm going to s-sit this one out. Will you be okay a-alone?" At his nod, she relaxed a little. "Well, you better g-get going before they get impatient and b-bang down the door." she joked weakly.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Itachi asked, concerned when he felt her stumble on the way out of the bathroom.

_No_. She felt cold – _so _cold. At the moment, she wanted nothing more than to curl into some thick blankets and sleep. "Y-Yeah," she answered aloud, knowing he was still waiting for an answer. "Just m-me being my u-usual clumsy self!" she laughed, sounding somewhat strained.

Swallowing hard, she forced herself to move again, wobbling her way towards Itachi's cot, which suddenly seemed to be infinitely far away. He offered her his hand, but she quickly swatted away his attempts to steady her, knowing that if he touched her, he would know that her 'cold' had worsened.

Collapsing onto his cot, she faced him and urged again, "G-Go on, they're w-waiting."

Itachi nodded, but he stood rooted to the spot, frown never leaving his face.

"Don't w-worry; I'll be f-fine." Kagome said, lips curling slightly in weak smile. "I-I'll be right here, waiting for you w-when you finish." In her state, she doubted she could have left even if she had wanted to. "Go on…" Her eyes lingered on his back as he went and opened the door, handing the empty vial to one of the four guards waiting outside. And, even though it hurt her to see him treated this way, she continued to watch until he had been led away, hands bound tightly with chakra-suppressing restraints.

It wasn't until the door had completely swung shut, cutting him off from her that she finally allowed herself to collapse into a shivering mess. Pulling his threadbare blankets around herself, she buried her nose into his pillow, taking comfort in the familiar scent.

She was cold, and her eyes felt heavy, but she didn't dare fall asleep. She was afraid if she did, she'd never wake up again. She wasn't afraid of death though. At times, she had even felt that she would welcome it. Her family was, after all, probably waiting for her on the other side. But then, as soon as she thought that, she'd remember Itachi and how he'd be all alone. And, more than anything, she wanted to protect him from that loneliness.

It would be easy – so _easy _– to simply let go, but she was determined to live for him.

For his sake, she'd do anything. So she stayed awake and tried to will the shivers away.

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

Author's Note: Initially, I had meant for this story to be short – like 3 chapters. But somehow, it spiraled out of my control, and now it's going to be pretty long. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing, but my friend told me she finds my idea for this story to be "angst-y, icky, and just plain freaky". Not quite sure I understand, but I'm assuming she was freaked out by the fact that Itachi is blind (or, more accurately, eye-less).

Anyway, it took longer than I expected to update because I was out of the country recently. I actually have a ton of essays and homework that I need to catch up on because of the impromptu trip. But I'm procrastinating, and I figured I might as well type up one of the chapters that I've been working on.

I'll update again when I catch up with my backlog of homework. I actually have the next chapter of this story and the next chapter of 'Aniue' done. Unfortunately, they're handwritten drafts. So, I'll have to find time to type them up later.


End file.
